Crews, Quitno, fall just short at golf sectionals

Nevada High School junior Lily Quitno looks to reach the green, during the Class 1 Sectional 2 MSHSAA Girl's Golf Championships held at Whispering Pines Country Club, Monday in Marshfield. Quitno nearly qualified for the Class 1 state tournament, missing the cut by two strokes. (Submitted photos)

Nevada Lady Tiger golfers Mandy Crews and Lily Quitno hit the links for the Missouri State High School Activities Association Class 1 Sectional 2 Girl's Golf State Championships held Monday at Whispering Oaks Country Club in Marshfield.

Carding the tournament's low individual score was Hollister's McKenna Krysl, who fired a 76. Quitno concluded the day with a 99, finishing in 21st, missing the cut for the Class 1 state tournament by just two strokes. Crews finished with a 101, placing her 28th, as she missed the cut by four strokes.

"I'm proud of Lily and Mandy for getting to sectionals," NHS golf coach Brian Leonard said. "They worked really hard throughout the week preparing for the tournament."

Leonard said Crews and Quitno were playing their best golf the year at the end of the season.

"Both started getting serious about their (swing) alignment," he said. "They have also been concentrating on their pre-shot routine, and have realized every shot counts."

Leonard said after researching the competition in the week leading up to the tournament, that he told Crews and Quitno they probably needed to score out in the 95-100 range to qualify for the state tournament.

Crews and Quitno, both juniors, began play on the back nine, with each shooting a 49. Quitno turned around and fired a 50 on the front nine, while Crews carded a 52. Leonard added that his team was very young as far as experience, returning only two team members from last season's roster who had varsity-level tournament experience.

Nevada junior Mandy Crews tees off Monday morning at the Class 1 Sectional 2 tournament in Marshfield. (Submitted photo)

"I was pleased with the season," Leonard said. "We had a very young team. I knew there were going to be some high scores, but we did a good job of building for next year. Getting tournament experience was a big thing for them."

Greenwood won the tournament with a final team score of 371, followed by Purdy, 379; Logan Rogersville, 382; Strafford, 403; and Springfield Catholic, 418. Monday's outing at Whispering Pines Country Club concluded the Lady Tigers 2016 golf season.